


Keep Me in a Photograph

by iStygianEmpress (iDarkEmpress)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Child Mikasa Ackerman, Christmas Fluff, Ereri Secret Santa 2017, Fluff, Kindergarten Teacher Levi, M/M, Photographer Eren Yeager, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 09:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13143891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iDarkEmpress/pseuds/iStygianEmpress
Summary: Eren didn't expect to find the love he was searching for in the man he saw when he walked alone during a lonely Christmas night, much less with the help of a simple photograph.





	Keep Me in a Photograph

**Author's Note:**

  * For [atsushismainhoe](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=atsushismainhoe).



> This is for the EreRi Secret Santa 2017 and to my giftee, atsushismainhoe! I had fun writing this, so I hope that you'll enjoy this simple gift.
> 
> I am entry #73.

I met my husband—well, not husband. At least not _yet_ , but _soon_ —in a way that I never thought of. Since I was a kid, I’ve been imagining situations about how I would meet the person that I would spend the rest of my life with. I wouldn’t deny that it became more common once I reached my teens, with the abundant amount of romance novels my mother, Carla, has and it watered what little imagination I had. From meeting in a coffee shop, being classmates, saving the other from some shitty situation and other cliché events.

 

                You could blame my parents for that. I grew up seeing them sickeningly in love with each other, and I could testify that up until now, they’re so head-over-heels for each other that it made my bitter self more bitter. There’s not a day in my life where I wouldn’t see my father leave a kiss on my mother’s forehead before my mother reciprocate it with a kiss on his cheek. Of course there were fights, but they never went to bed without resolving their problem.

 

                _‘I want that kind of love’,_ that’s what I kept on telling myself. Of course, while it isn’t impossible, it’s hard to find. Only those who were lucky could find such strong, pure love. But I want it. I want to be with someone who I could love so deeply that I would want to live for as long as I could just to be with them. I want a love that wouldn't extinguish after a strong storm comes to destroy everything. I want a love that would make me feel giddy and in cloud nine even when I'm old and grey.

 

                But that’s the thing. I wanted it. However, I wasn’t sure if I would get it. But hell, I _really_ wanted it. I tried wishing to falling stars, tried wishing whenever I saw 11:11 (not that I really _waited_ for it. No. It’s just that whenever I check the time, it’s always 11:10. Jean is the only one who said otherwise), fuck, I even did my best to be good for the year just to wish on Santa Claus. At the age of twenty-three, without any real relationships except a few flings and both girls and boys wanting to get into my pants, I could pretty much guess that my dream isn’t exactly going to happen.

 

                I was proved wrong on one lonely Christmas night. I was out late that night, choosing to roam around the city and capture some pictures rather than spend the remaining of the night with my family. I already welcomed Christmas with them, eating and exchanging gifts with them, so it wasn’t like I’m going to miss anything. With my camera secured by the strap resting on my neck, I looked around the street to look for anything aesthetically pleasing.

 

                The whole place was white, covered by piles and piles of snow. It hang heavy on the bare trees, scrunches against my boots as I tread along the pavement. There weren’t many people outside, most opting to choose to spend their time in the warm comfort of their home rather than freeze in the streets. I was thankful that I wore layers of sweater and a comfortable yet warm boots. Mikasa, my younger sister, didn’t fail to remind me to wear a scarf before she let me go with a kiss on my cheek.

 

                Licking my chapped lips, I pulled out my lip balm from the pocket of my coat, applying some on my lips before I returned it to its previous place. To be honest, I didn’t really want to spend the rest of my evening wandering the streets with my camera. However, the never ending questions about my nonexistent love life forced me to leave. I couldn’t count with all of my fingers the amount of times they asked me when I’m going to be married, then asking me why I didn’t have a girlfriend when I’m such a handsome young man whenever I answer not in the near future. Seeing my parents being all sweet and loving is enough to make me see that I really am alone in life. No need to rub salts on my wounds.

 

                Sighing, I shook my head and focused on my goal. As I went on, I encountered a large tree, its branches covered in Christmas lights, making it look like it has gems for leaves. It was beautiful, but that wasn’t the one that caught my attention.

 

                I felt my breathing stop when I saw him, the most beautiful creature I ever had the pleasure to see. He was standing just underneath the tree, looking up at the branches with a look of wonder. It reminded me of a child’s—innocent, curious and so damn adorable. White lights shined upon his jet-black hair, his pale skin complimenting his dark locks. His eyes, even though it looked bored, have flecks of glee floating in his gunmetal irises. He was small, maybe around five foot three, and the layers of clothing drowning him made him look even smaller.

 

                He was beautiful. Looking at him from the distance made my heart beat fast that it wanted to get out of the confines of my ribcage. My stomach felt funny, as if millions of butterflies were going crazy, stumbling, and colliding against each other. It was as if everything that’s surrounding him became unimportant, my focus solely fixed on the raven haired man.

 

                Without knowing, my hands reached up to hold my camera and prepared it. Securing the camera in my hands, I lifted the camera and looked through the lens, searching for the perfect angle. Once I was satisfied, I took shot by shot until I was sure that my storage would be full. I couldn’t help it. I want to capture him, to capture his beauty, his perfection. I know that I wouldn’t be able to do it properly, no matter how many years I’ve been doing photography.

 

                The sound of a blaring car honk cut me off my trance, causing me to stop what I’m doing to look at the driver.  “Hey! Get out of the fucking way! Do you want to die?!”

 

                Only then did I notice that I was standing in the middle of the road. Great.

 

                Looking at the driver, I smiled apologetically before moving to the pavement, now away from the street. “Sorry about that.”

 

                The driver just rolled his eyes, muttering a ‘whatever’ before driving off. I watched the car with a frown on my face, yelling “Merry Christmas to you too!” before I looked down at my camera. What a way to ruin the evening.

 

                “What was that for?”

 

                I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard someone spoke behind me. The voice was low, dangerously sexy, causing me to turn my head so fast I thought I would have a whiplash. “Wha—“

 

                The sight of the man I’m taking pictures of earlier met my eyes as soon as I turned around made me eat what I was supposed to say. Shit, if the man looked handsome from the distance, then he is fucking magnificent close up. With this small distance around us, I noticed the sharp jaw line, the undercut that he was sporting, and holy shit. His eyes wasn’t entirely gunmetal, in some angle, it looks like a very deep blue.

               

                I stared at him, probably—no, scratch that, surely looking like a total fool. I was berating myself to act normal and composed, like how I always act, not like a stuttering school girl over her crush. But no, my body wouldn’t listen. I kept on staring at him, not moving, looking like a statue.

There was no expression but the blank look that seemed to be plastered on his face.

 

                “You were taking pictures of me.” I didn’t respond. How the hell am I going to? He didn’t question it. He stated it. Am I supposed to answer a statement? Is that also how it works? Is there any way for my brain to function correctly?

 

                The stoic look on his face hardened even more, if that was possible. “Aren’t you going to talk?”

 

                I tried to speak. I really tried. But whenever I open my mouth to speak, nothing came out. I didn’t exactly help the situation. I just worsened it by making myself look more of an idiot.

 

                Clicking his tongue, he just shook his head. “Looks like the cold affected your brain’s ability to fucking function. I would just be wasting my time trying to talk to you. I wouldn’t force you to delete those damn photos since you seem like a trustable person, but don’t try using it for some fucked up things. I would personally gut you if you do. You get that?”

 

                Knowing that his threat wasn’t an empty one, I nodded. Without bidding goodbye, he turned on his heels and walked away.

 

                I stayed rooted in my place until he’s out of sight. That’s when my brain decided that it’s finally okay to function correctly, but it’s already too late.

 

                “Shit, I wasn’t able to get his fucking number or even his name. Ugh.” Sighing out all of my frustrations, I checked my camera, a small smile gracing my lips as I flip checked the photos one by one.

 

                It was amazing how he could look adorable, hot and downright terrifying.

 

                Making my way back home, I couldn’t ignore the warm feeling coursing through me. As I continued to look at each photos, I knew I was right. I wasn’t able to capture everything about him completely. The reason? Perfection like that couldn’t be contained in a simple photograph.

 

*****

 

You might call me obsessed just like what Jean said, but I will still admit it. I printed his photos and stuck it against my wall, along with my other photos that I personally love. What could I say? I was caught by him in a short span of time, so I guess that it would be fair if I also captured him, even if it’s only in a photograph, right? I want to have a reminder of this gorgeous man that I saw on a lonely Christmas night.

 

                “Here,” Jean said, throwing me something as soon as he entered my bedroom. Looking down, I gingerly took it, not trusting Jean at all. I shot him an untrusting look. “Come on, don’t give me that look, Yeager. Just open it.”

 

 

                “I don’t trust you.” Glaring at him, I slowly tore the wrapper, revealing laminated copies of the photos of Levi that I stuck on my wall. It even has a short thread on top so it can be hanged.

 

 

                “What is this for?” There’s no tone in my voice, mainly because I didn’t know what I felt about the gift. I wasn’t sure if Jean’s just making fun of me.

 

                “Do whatever you want. Hang it, use it as your earring, I don’t care.”

 

                “Really? Use it as my earring?”

 

                Jean rolled his eyes at me, plopping down on my bed. “Fuck off, Yeager. Maybe you can use it on your Christmas tree.”

 

                I looked at Jean as if he just said that ostrich learned how to fly. “What?”

 

                He shrugged. “You guys decorate the tree with pictures from your memorable moments. Considering the way you’ve been acting since that night, you might as well do it.”

 

                With what he said, a smile surfaced on my lips. “Who knew that you could also be sentimental?”

 

                “Fuck off, Yeager."

 

*****

 

I did exactly what Jean has said—I hanged the picture in the Christmas tree. The tree would be taken down by the end of January, so I still have enough time to feel it.

 

            It didn’t turn out to be such a good idea, however, when Mikasa went home one afternoon with the teachers in her kindergarten in tow. My mother probably invited them. At first, it wasn’t really much of a problem. They’re just Mikasa’s kindergarten teachers anyway. I was proven wrong when I saw the man, the very man I saw last Christmas night, standing by the Christmas tree beside two other people, one with brown hair and the other with blond. It didn’t end there. The one who was wearing glasses was laughing loudly while the other was chuckling, all while looking at the raven haired man, whose gaze was currently fixated on a certain photograph hanging by the tree. A photograph that has him in it. The look on his face was as hard to decipher as Da Vinci’s code.

 

            My mother welcomed them with a warm smile, her eyes fleeting to look at the Christmas tree where the three were currently huddled around. She seemed to be explaining what the photos hanging on the branches meant, a fond smile on her face. I wasn’t sure if I was just imagining it, but I saw the man’s cheeks became pink as he once again stared at the photo. It made my whole body tingle, my chest as warm as a fire in contrast to the cold winter weather.

 

            “Eren! Come here and greet our visitors.” I felt my blood ran cold when my mother called me over. Shit. How the fuck am I supposed to face him without being labeled as a stalker?

 

            I nervously made my way towards them, movements stiffer than usual. I stood beside my mother, casting them a forced smile as they greeted me. Well, except Mr. Gorgeous. He just stared at me as if he’s staring straight to my soul.

 

            The one who initiated the talk was the one with glasses. “Hey there, Eren. My name’s Hange. They/them pronouns, please.”

 

            I nodded, taking up the offered handshake. The next one to introduce was the large blond beside the raven haired man, saying that his name is Erwin. Lastly, I looked at the shorter man, instantly caught by the mesmerizing eyes of the mysterious man.

 

            Levi offered a hand which I took immediately. “Levi.”

 

            It took all of my self-control not to kiss Levi’s pale, slightly calloused hands. “I’m Eren. It’s nice to meet you.”

 

            “Well, looks like it isn’t the first time the two of you met,” Hange chirped, smiling suggestively at Levi. Their statement caught my mother’s interest, letting out an ‘oh?’.

 

            “We saw our friend in one of the photos hanging on your Christmas tree.” Hange showed the photo to my mother, whose face light up immediately.

 

            “It looks like Levi.”

 

            “That’s because it is him, Mrs. Yeager.”

 

            “Oh, please call me Carla. Let’s go to the kitchen now and eat, shall we?” My mom offered, smiling before turning her back to us. Before she took a step, she looked back, shooting me a glance. “And Eren, you can let go of Levi’s hand now.”

 

            Face red with embarrassment, I let go of Levi’s hand as if I’ve been burned. What the fuck. I’m making a fool out of myself again.

 

            I waited for the others to follow my mother. When I noticed that Levi wasn’t moving from his place, I worriedly asked him, “Are you okay?”

 

            Levi looked at me, his cheeks still tinted with pink, but a smirk was resting on his lips. “You should’ve just asked for my number, brat.”

 

            “W-what?” I sputtered, tumbling over my own words. Levi stepped closer to me, causing my eyes to widen. His breath smelled like mint and he smelled so fucking good.

 

            Fuck, I’m helplessly crushing over him.

 

            “I think you’re really cute. It wouldn’t be bad to date you. Let’s go on a proper date next time before you hang my pictures again, shall we?”

 

            When I was about to reply, Levi cut me off by kissing my cheek before sauntering to the kitchen, leaving me red in my spot.

 

            Did that really happen?

 

*****

 

 

“Oi, Eren. What are you doing? I told you to help me prepare the dishes. Your parents and Mikasa are coming soon.”

 

            I looked up from the photo I was holding to see Levi standing by the living room’s entrance. He was wearing an apron considering that he was cooking, but he was wearing my sweater and his sweatpants. Just looking at him made my heart ache in the most pleasant ways.  


            “I’m coming. Just let me fix this up.” He nodded before he went straight back to the kitchen. Returning the photos back to its place, I stood up and followed Levi to the kitchen, hugging him from behind and kissing his neck before I started helping out.

 

            Levi and I had been dating for four years already and has been engaged for almost half a year. It was unbelievable how fast time went by. We started dating just a week after he visited my parent’s house and now here we are, building our own family and future together. The thought brought a smile on my face.

 

            After we were finished with the dishes, Levi and I cleaned up ourselves and not long after that, my parents and Mikasa arrived. It was amusing to think how easy it was for Levi to fit in with my family, as if he has been the missing piece of a puzzle.

 

            We spent hours upon hours talking and exchanging gifts. It was late when they left and since my mother insisted to help Levi clean up, the only thing left to do now is rest. Walking out of the kitchen, I didn’t expect to see Levi standing by the Christmas tree that we set up for the Christmas.

 

            I approached him, wrapping my arms around his waist, feeling him melt against me. I started kissing his neck softly, Levi’s small hands drawing circles on the back of my palm.

 

            “What are you doing, baby? Aren’t you tired?”

 

            Levi shook his head, keeping his eyes fixated on the Christmas tree. The picture that I took of him years ago, specifically.

 

            My arms around him went a little tighter. “I’m glad that I took that photo. I’m glad that you entered my life. I’m blessed to have you, Levi.”

 

            Levi turned around, wrapping his arms around my neck with a soft look on his normally stoic face. “I’m glad too, Eren. I never knew that I would have someone like you to spend the rest of my life with.”

 

            I smiled, pressing my forehead against his. “I used to think how lucky people who met their true love were. Now that you’re here, with me, in my arms, I couldn’t be more lucky. I’m deeply in love with you, Levi.”

 

            Standing on the tip of his toes, Levi leaned to kiss me on my lips. It was sweet and intoxicating, conveying every single thing that words couldn’t express.

 

            “I love you too, Eren. I love you so fucking much.”

 

            “Merry Christmas and happy birthday, my love. I’m looking forward to spend the rest of my Christmas and every day with you.”

 

            Levi smiled, a smile that never failed to take my breath away. “Merry Christmas. I’m looking forward to it too, brat.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure about the ending, but I hope that it's okay! Thanks for reading.


End file.
